library research paper

Library Research Paper: Example & Writing Guide [2024]

A library research paper is an academic writing project that summarizes the information on a specific topic taken from primary and secondary sources.

According to the University of Michigan Library, you can complete your library research project in a few simple steps:

• Formulate a topic.
• Find relevant books and scholarly articles.
• Evaluate the sources you’ve found.
• Read and synthesize all the information.
• Correctly cite all the sources you used.

In this article, the Custom-writing.org team has gathered all you need to succeed with your assignment. Here, you’ll find tips on how to choose a title with some thought-provoking examples. Further, there are instructions on writing an introduction, main body, conclusion, and bibliography section. Finally, we’ve prepared an excellent library research paper example to inspire your work.

• 📚 Introduction
• 📝 The Main Body
• 🗞️ Conclusion

📓 Bibliography

🔗 references, 📃 library research paper: choosing the title.

Just like any other academic work, a library research paper should start with a compelling title. It should fit the following criteria:

• reflects the core topic of the research paper;
• contains up to 15 words;
• identifies the purpose of research;
• grabs the readers’ attention;
• doesn’t include unknown abbreviations, too complex lexical and grammar constructions;
• clear, concise, mistakes-free.

Library Research Title Examples

Here are some examples of library research paper titles:

• American Female Artists in the Nineteenth and Twenty-First Centuries Overview
• The Influence of Different Types of Advertising on Children and Adults
• The Impact of Rapid Digitalization on Modern Art and Music
• The Role of Community Library in Civic Involvement
• Leadership Elements of the California State Library
• Unique Aspects of Running a Business in South Africa.
• The Crucial Role of Ethics in Medical Research on Humans
• How to Reduce the Rates of Injuries and Deaths Among Childhood Pedestrians
• The Importance of Qualitative Research in Healthcare Practice
• Small and Medium Businesses in South Africa
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Computerization of Medicine
• Benefits of Computer Technology for Criminal Investigations
• The Study of the Roman Road System and Its Importance
• Overview of the Homelessness Issue and the Ways to Eliminate It
• The Definition and Role of Action Research in Healthcare
• The Causes of Cultural Shifts in the United States in the Twentieth Century
• The Importance of Library Services for Community Building
• Comparison of Qualitative and Quantitative Research Efficacy in Healthcare
• The Emergence and Development of British Abolitionism
• The Effect of Current Laws on the Wellbeing of Indigenous People.
• The Peculiarities of Cross-Cultural Negotiations and Conflict Mitigation
• Analysis of Social Rights in the United States in the Early Nineteenth Century
• The Impact of Psychopathy Research on the Western Criminal Justice System
• Overview of Causes That Led to Airline Industry Crises
• The Effect of Confounding Variables on the Results of the Research
• Examination of the Nature and Possible Issues of Qualitative Research
• The Positive and Negative Impact of Culturally Diverse Team on Project Success
• The Peculiarities and Challenges of Product Launch Strategy
• What Inspires Scientists to Conduct Their Research?
• The Analysis of Food Service in Hospital
• Analysis of the Most Effective Leadership Models
• The Nature of Groupthink and Its Impact on Problem-Solving
• Stereotypes and Prejudices in Perception of Japan
• The Cause of Juvenile Delinquency and the Ways to Prevent It
• The Origin and Development of Video Games
• The Workplace Challenges of Transgender Employees
• Work-Life Balance and Its Impact on Employee Performance
• How to Find Knowledge in the Digital Library Haystack
• Nelson Mandela , His Leadership Style, and Contribution to South Africa’s Development
• The Significance of New Cybersecurity Solutions for the World’s Safety
• The Impact of Domestic Animals on Human Mental Health
• Is It Necessary to Reform Campaign Financing System?
• Criminal Mythology and Its Influence on Society
• The Distinctive Aspects of Various Types of Business Structures
• Benefits of Information Technology Infrastructure Library
• Cryptography and Mathematics : From Scytales Cylinders to Bitcoin
• The Effect of Obesity on Physical and Mental Health
• The Connection Between Alcohol Abuse During Pregnancy and Child’s Mental Health
• The Necessity of Mental Health Services for Healthcare Providers of Critical Patients
• The History and Role of Pop Art

📚 Library Research Paper Introduction

Start your scientific research essay with an overview—an introductory part of your work. Here, you have to use secondary literature to provide a general background.

An overview helps the author to establish the context and to introduce the hypothesis. Your thesis statement should clearly and concisely answer the research question and be easily understandable for the reader.

Your overview shouldn’t be too long—3 paragraphs max.

Now, let’s figure out how to conduct research.

First and foremost, it is crucial to develop a strategy. One of the research methods is to go from general to specific ideas.

See some useful tips that will make your research process smoother:

• Use keywords. Start searching the info in a database using broad terms to get the general ideas. Then, narrow it down by inserting more specific keywords into the search tool to find clear examples, essential studies, statistics, etc.
• Start with broad context. Use the same strategy as above for providing the background of your issue. First, present the general knowledge of your field of study. Then, go to more specific facts, details, and examples. Overall, your reader is supposed to dive into your topic gradually.
• Check multiple databases. Don’t forget that there are plenty of them, and you can examine several. It’s always possible to find enough info. You should know the basics of digital library management and search for sources properly and effectively.

Take a look at our example of library research hypothesis:

It may seem that the twenty-first century with its democratic values and the strive for equality opened up limitless horizons for women. Nevertheless, female artists still face various challenges that can restrict their activity and creativity. This paper compares the peculiarities of female artists’ professional activity in the nineteenth and twenty-first centuries from the feminist perspective.

Overall, by the end of your overview, the readers should know two things:

• the background of the issue you are going to investigate;
• your hypothesis.

Note that you aim to present the previous investigations in your research paper and demonstrate your position. Make sure you have your well-developed arguments and supportive details.

📝 The Main Body of a Library Research Paper

The next step of your writing process is the presentation of the recent results. Here, you need to use primary sources to find evidence to support your claims. Keep in mind that you can also use resources that contradict your position. They are useful for the rebuttal.

Follow our tips to get credible sources :

• Find books through the catalog. Use the citation (author, title, year) to find it quickly. Remember that some books may not be available in public libraries because another student has already taken them. So, check the book’s circulation status.
• To search for an e-book, use the library’s main digital catalog.
• Use scholarly databases to find journals and peer-reviewed articles.
• If you need news or magazine articles, go to the online newspaper or magazine edition.
• For dictionaries (to find definitions) and encyclopedias (to find meanings), search in reference source databases.

The evaluation of the sources is another crucial part of research paper writing. To do it properly, answer three simple questions: who, when, why?

• Who created the work?
• What are their credentials?
• Who published the book/article?
• Who are the readers?
• When was the work created?
• When was the work published?
• What is the historical context of the work’s creation period?
• Why is the work valuable for your library research paper?
• Why might the source be inappropriate for your assignment? (Biased authors, outdated information, etc.).
• Why the authors created this work?
• How can it change your readers’ views?

Are you unsure about how to use primary sources in your project? Take a look at the part of our library research paper sample:

Although many female artists are able to display their works and be successful in their profession, equality in fine arts is still unattained. Borowiecki and Dahl (2020) analyzed census and statistical data from 1850 to the present day and explored the peculiarities of female artists’ careers. The authors found that time constraints, financial aspects, and racial inequality were some of the most influential factors affecting female artists’ choices.

🗞️ Library Research Paper Conclusion

The last element of your paper is the summary. In this part, you need to summarize your arguments and make a clear conclusion regarding your findings.

See some insightful tips:

• Connect the last paragraph to your introduction. The summary starts with a well-paraphrased thesis statement. It should highlight all the keywords and the core idea of the paper. For this task, you can utilize a paragraph shortener that will practically do the same thing, only faster. Then you list your findings from the body.
• Motivate your readers. In your summary, you can also cause your readers to investigate your issue further. Suggest new ways of thinking, expand their horizons, and make them interested in your field of study.
• Prove the significance of your work. Explain why your ideas are relevant and how they can help the readers.

Take a look at our example of library research summarizing sentences to have a clear understanding of how a conclusion looks like:

Women have created numerous masterpieces that shed light on the aspects of human life that have been ignored or misunderstood by male artists. There are still views that the limited engagement of female artists is natural and meets the needs of this population. Hence, the role female artists play and should perform in the development of world fine arts is still open to debate.

This section presents a list of the sources used in the process of writing. It proves that your work is not plagiarized and filled with reliable information.

What’s vital is:

Don’t include the literature that you didn’t cite in your work in your reference list. You might have read it before. Yet, the source shouldn’t be in the bibliography if there is no in-text citation.

While dealing with referencing and citing sources, it is enough to answer three questions:

WHY DO YOU NEED TO CITE?

• to avoid plagiarism;
• to prove to your readers that you have completed research;
• to demonstrate the reliability of your sources;
• to let your readers find the sources for further investigation of your topic.

WHEN DO YOU NEED TO CITE?

• when you are using direct quotes;
• when you are taking the ideas, beliefs, and opinions of another person;
• when you are taking statistics, facts, visuals form the other sources;
• when you are paraphrasing the other thoughts using your own words.

HOW DO I FORMAT MY CITATIONS?

• Figure out what citation style is required. It has to be done even before writing the paper as there are a lot of them. The most popular ones are MLA format and APA style .
• Investigate the aspects of the required citation style. If you are unsure about something, ask your instructor or find a formatting manual.
• Always proofread and double-check. Ensure that your in-text citations and reference list are neat and free of mistakes.

Look at the references from our library research sample:

• In-text citations:

According to Borowiecki and Dahl (2020), … or The life and art of Cecilia Beaux can serve as an appropriate illustration of these constraints (McGuirk, 2017).

• References:

Borowiecki, K. J., & Dahl, C. M. (2020). What makes an artist? The evolution and clustering of creative activity in the US since 1850. Regional Science and Urban Economics, in \ press. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0166046220302994?via%3Dihub

McGuirk, H. D. K. (2017). Mary Cassatt and Cecilia Beaux: An analytical comparison of two new women and issues surrounding femininity, modernity, and nineteenth-century feminism. [Master’s thesis, College of Fine Arts of Ohio University]. College of Fine Arts of Ohio University.

✅ Library Research Example

Writing a library research paper can be an exciting task as it allows you to delve deep into a topic of interest and explore various intriguing sources. To inspire you even more, we have prepared an example of a library research paper showcasing excellent research, analysis, and writing. You can download the PDF file by clicking the link below.

The realm of American art has been profoundly influenced by the contributions of female artists across centuries, from the 19th to the 21st. The paper delves into the societal and cultural factors that influenced female artists’ representation and recognition while also highlighting prominent artists’ groundbreaking works. It analyzes the evolution of women’s roles in art, examining their struggles, triumphs, and lasting influence on the artistic landscape.

Thank you for visiting our page! Use our tips, share them with your friends, and don’t forget to check other articles on our website.

• The Library Research Process, Step-by-Step: University of Michigan Library
• Library Research Basics: LibGuides at Conrad N. Hilton Library
• Writing a College Research Paper: Rentschler Library
• Finding articles, Library Research Skills Tutorial: Concordia University Library
• Basic Steps in the Research Process: North Hennepin Community College
• Writing the Research Paper: Writing@CSU, Colorado State University
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Mass Communication

7 steps to effective library research.

• Open Educational Resources (OER)
• Find an Article
• Journals and Magazines
• Primary and Secondary Resources
• Cite Sources

The following steps provide an effective strategy for conducting efficient and accurate library research.

STEP 1 

SELECT YOUR TOPIC

Before you can do any research, you need to be clear about what you are researching. A helpful way to clarify your topic is to state your topic in the form of a question.

Example Question : What effect does alcohol abuse have on college students?

Don't worry about being too general, you will refine your topic later.

STEP 2 

IDENTIFY KEY WORDS THAT DESCRIBE YOUR TOPIC

Make a list of words and terms that describe your topic. To this list add synonyms of those words and other terms related to your topic.

Example Keywords : alcohol abuse, college students

Example Related Words : alcoholism, binge drinking, young adults

This is a very important step because almost all your subsequent research will involve entering these words into various search engines (e.g. the library catalog to find books, a research database to find a journal article).

STEP 3 

FIND BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Begin your search with printed or online encyclopedias such as Credo Reference or Britannica Online, using the key words and related words that you identified as search terms in Steps 1 and 2. Articles in encyclopedias and similar sources will help you refine your topic. Note any relevant references to books, articles, and other information in the bibliographies at the end of the encyclopedia articles. You may want to use them in your research.

STEP 4 

USE ONLINE CATALOG TO FIND BOOKS

Using words that describe your topic (Identified in Steps 1 and 2 above), do a Keyword search to find books relevant to your topic in the library's  online catalog . Once you find appropriate materials, note the citation (author, title, etc.), call number, location, and circulation status of the book.

USE RESEARCH DATABASES TO FIND JOURNAL ARTICLES

Consult a research database like  Academic Search Complete  to find articles on your topic. Some search results will include the full text of the article. If the full text is not included, please use Journal Finder to see if the full text is available in the library or in another research database.

If the full text is not available, you may hope to use the library's  Interlibrary Loan (ILL) Service  to borrow books or obtain copies of articles not available at ECSU.

EVALUATE WHAT YOU FIND

Evaluate the authority and quality of the materials you have located. Consider the author, publisher, and date of each resource. Is the material comprehensive? Is it biased? Who is the intended audience?

Is the article  peer-reviewed  or from a  scholarly  journal? A  scholarly  journal has all of its articles reviewed by panel of experts in the field before the articles are published. Peer-reviewed articles are the "Gold Standard" of academic research. Answering the following questions will help you identify a  peer-reviewed  article.

Is the author of the article listed near the beginning of the article?

Is the journal in which the article published named?

Is there an  abstract  of the article available in the database? An  abstract  is a one paragraph description of the contents of the article.

Does the article have an extensive bibliography (not just a couple of citations)?

If the answer to these questions is 'Yes', the article is probably  peer-reviewed .

REVIEW YOUR PROGRESS

After you have completed the previous steps, examine the information you have collected. Ask yourself the following questions.

Does it answer the topic question you posed in Step 1?

Is your topic question too general?

Does it need to be more specific?

Do you need more information about any aspect of your topic?

After you answer these questions, return to Step 1 and repeat the process. (You may be able to skip Step 3 Find Background Information.)

REMEMBER TO ASK A LIBRARIAN FOR HELP IF YOU NEED IT!

Librarians are here to help you with your research. Librarians know the resources the Library has and are eager to assist students.

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Holman Library

• GRC Holman Library
• Green River LibGuides

Library Research: A Step-By-Step Guide

Step 4: write.

• Library Research: A Step-by-Step Guide
• 1a. Understand Your Assignment
• 1b. Select a Topic
• 1c. Develop Research Questions
• 1d. Identify Search Words
• 1e. Find Background Info
• 1f. Refine Your Topic
• 2a. Use Smart Search Strategies
• 2b. Find Books
• 2c. Find Audio and Video
• 2d. Find Articles
• 2e. Find Websites
• 2f. Find Info in Holman Library One Search
• 3a. Evaluate By Specific Criteria
• 3b. Distinguish Between Scholarly/Popular Sources
• Step 5: Cite Your Sources

Useful style & writing guides

Browse the Essential Skills and Main sections of Holman Library -- 808 Call Number -- for books on incorporating sources into your research papers.

How do I incorporate sources into my paper or presentation?

• Can I use it as background information to begin my paper?
• Can I use it to change the focus or direction of my paper? 
• Can I make smooth transitions between thoughts/paragraphs by making connections between sources?
• Can I insert these into my paper for emotional impact or attention-grabbing devices?
• Can I use it as evidence in my supporting paragraphs?
• Can I use it as a counterargument?
• Can I make recommendations or leave questions for the reader to ponder at the end of my paper?
• Is it close enough and good enough that I can still figure out a way to creatively incorporate it in my paper?

Video: How to Avoid Plagiarism in 5 Easy Steps

Source: "How to Avoid Plagiarism: In 5 Easy Steps" by Steelman Library , is licensed under a Standard YouTube License.

Three Methods for incorporating sources

Know these methods.

• Method #1 Summarize
• Method #2 Paraphrase
• Method #3 Quote

It is best to mostly summarize and paraphrase your sources instead of quoting them. This improves the flow of your paper and makes it more coherent for readers.

• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): Quoting, Paraphrasing and Summarizing

Summarize:  

state the main ideas of a source concisely and in your own words. Keep if brief and to the point. Always indicate the source you are summarizing. A summary is much shorter in length than the source. 

TIP: Practice explaining out loud a source you would like to summarize. 

Paraphrase:

r estate, in your own words ,  information from a source, like a conclusion or particularly important point. Always cite the source you paraphrase.  A paraphrase is usually about the same length as the original.

Quote: 

use someone's exact words when rewording will not do justice to the original statement, the person you are citing is a known authority, for accuracy, or for conciseness. Use quotes sparingly.

• Limit  the use of direct quotes to at most, 20% of the paper (exception: papers on literary works).
• Put quotation marks around a quote.
• In APA format, quotation marks are used for quotes less than 5 lines only. 
• Indent direct quotes five or more lines (MLA), or 40+ words (APA). 
• Use ellipses (three dots...where the...words were...removed) to indicate omissions from a direct quote. Be careful to not lose context or the true meaning of the statement by omitting parts.
• Indicate additions or changes with [brackets]

Using Information from another Source

• Weaving it together
• Paraphrase or Plagiarize

A summary is a brief synopsis of the key points of a work. A summary is written in your own words and credits the original source.

Click on the link below to download a copy of an 8 step guide to help you summarize!

• Eight Steps for Writing a Summary

Paraphrasing refers to restating someone's ideas in your own words. Note that says ideas  - not words! Paraphrasing is not  just rewriting a sentence using your own words! That's a surefire way to plagiarize! Writing the ideas, or meaning of what you read, however, is the best way to go! And you must give credit when you paraphrase.  Click on the link below to download a copy of an 6 step guide to help you paraphrase!

• Six Steps for Paraphrasing Material

Weaving it all together

Most college level writing - and in fact, life writing - requires you to do more than summarize and paraphrase! You also need to be able to tie it all together into your own discussion and analysis. 

Writing texts refer to this process by different names; The Write Stuff describes it as making an "ice cream sandwich" in which you wrap other's ideas and words within your own analysis. In other words, you sandwich them.

The Ice Cream Sandwich: Framing Facts and Sources

Top Cookie:

A sentence or two to introduce the point you want to make or critique

The text reference that supports your point. Be sure to put the summaries and paraphrases into a sentence of your own:

Paraphrase > plus page number (in parentheses)

Direct quote

Bottom Cookie:

Interpretation and analysis

Interpretation (what is being said - define key terms when necessary)

Analysis (what the messages are and a critique of the author's ideas, writing style, or techniques)

Sims, Marcie. “The Ice Cream Sandwich: Framing Facts and Sources” The Write Stuff: Thinking through Essays. 2nd ed. Boston: Prentice-Hall. 2012. 337-338. Print.

The most common form of “accidental” plagiarism is the result of poor paraphrasing skills. This type of “accidental” plagiarism occurs when you actually cite a source, but the amount of material you use from that source, or the overall writing style—i.e., use of words, phrases, and writing patterns—is too close to the original (without using quotation marks). Be careful about relying too much in a paper on someone else’s words or ideas. Basically, if you use too many of the same phrases or words from the original and do not use quotation marks, it is considered plagiarism even if you cite the source.

Examples of attempted paraphrasing

Original Source Excerpt

Such savvy borrowing may be lost on some educators, but others, like librarians, are catching up. “Students are finding it so easy to use these sources that they will dump them in the middle of the papers without any attribution,” says John Ruszkiewicz, an English professor at Texas. “What they don’t realize is how readily [professors] can tell the material isn’t the student’s and how easy it is for instructors to search this material on the Web” (434).

Student Version A— Plagiarism:

Students borrowing from the Web may be lost on some educators, but some teachers and librarians are catching up. Some students use chunks of other sources right in the middle of their papers without citations. But what these students often don’t realize is how easily professors can tell the material isn’t the student’s and how the instructors can easily search and find this material on the Web too.

This paraphrase is an example of plagiarism because the student uses many of the same phrases as the original passage and the same overall style and structure as the original author with just a few substitution words or phrases (without using any quotation marks and without citations).

Student Version B—Attempted Paraphrase— But Still Plagiarism:

According to Mark Clayton, students borrowing from the Internet may be missed by some teachers, but others are catching it. Students find it easy to use these sources and will put them in their papers without citations or credit. However, they don’t realize that professors can tell the material isn’t the student’s and that it is easy for them to search the web and find this material too.

This paraphrase is an example of “accidental” plagiarism because the student has combined a couple sentences, substituted a few words, but still has used the same overall structure with minor substitutions and has given a nod to the original author with a tagline but still does not have a proper parenthetical citation anywhere in the paraphrase.

Student Version C—Appropriate Paraphrase— Not Plagiarism:

According to Mark Clayton's article, "A Whole Lot of Cheatin' Going On," many students are using the Internet to research sources on topics they write about, but they are using these sources in their papers without giving any credit to the original authors. Clayton also points out that teachers and librarians are figuring out what's going on and can recognize when it is not the student's own work. Furthermore, teachers can find the sources themselves on the Internet and prove that the student has plagiarized (434).

This student has paraphrased using his or her own words and sentence constructions, and the student has accurately reflected the author's ideas and cited him correctly both with a tag and a parenthetical citation.

Content in this “Types of accidental plagiarism” section is reused with permission from Sims, Marcie.  The Write Stuff: Thinking Through Essays.  Upper Saddle River : Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.

Tips for avoiding plagiarism

To avoid plagiarism writers must be aware of three concerns: ethical, legal, and methodological.

Every time you use another person’s words or thoughts, you have both a legal and ethical obligation to give that person (also called a source) credit. To fulfill those obligations you must know the methods by which to correctly credit that source. That means using a specific documentation style or format (the most common being MLA, APA, and Chicago Manual of Style). Thus, avoiding plagiarism starts with being aware of what it is and then taking the precautions necessary to document and cite all the sources, even if the writers just gained an insight or idea from another person.

Here are some helpful  tips:

Take careful notes and mark direct quotes and summarized ideas with the page numbers they came from.

In the process of searching for secondary sources, especially when using the Internet, you should be sure to take detailed notes about the source information of any piece you are even considering using in your paper.

Make sure to use your own words and sentence constructions and even your own style when you paraphrase or summarize the ideas of others. You still need to  credit the original source clearly to avoid plagiarism.

Many students intentionally cheat and copy ideas or words without giving credit to the original author. Some students, though, are guilty of just being unaware of the rules for citing sources or maybe even of dismissing that nagging feeling that they might be improperly using other people’s ideas. You should never try to claim lack of awareness as an excuse. Since you are in college now, as a writer, you must be responsible and scholarly and always give credit for others’ ideas or words. You are stealing someone else’s intellectual property when you plagiarize. It is a serious offence with serious consequences.

Content in this “Tips for avoiding plagiarism” section is reused with permission from Sims, Marcie. The Write Stuff: Thinking Through Essays. Upper Saddle River : Pearson/Prentice Hall, 2009. Print.

Get started!

Getting started can often be the hardest part! But sometimes, all you need to do is begin! Map out your essay and plan to paraphrase, summarize, or quote from the sources you found! 

Image source:  "Student studies"  by  Mohamed Hassan  is in the  Public Domain, CC0

Writing tips!

• Writing Tip #1 Be organized
• Writing Tip #2 Take good notes
• Writing Tip #3 Keep it simple

Be organized!

Develop or improve your note-taking habits

• Take notes in your own words, label things that you paraphrase and provide appropriate documentation.
• When taking notes, place direct quotations in quotation marks and provide appropriate and complete documentation.
• Make a list of the writers and viewpoints you discover in your research.
• Be careful of internet sources that may just recycle or plagiarize other sources.
• Clearly organize your notes into three categories: your ideas, your summaries of the contents of a source, and any exact wording you write or copy from a source.

Keep to the basic paper components

• Your thesis.
• The main ideas or arguments that support your thesis. Present them in a logical order.
• Transition words, phrases and sentences which improve the flow of your paper.
• A concluding paragraph that sums up the main points. 

Recommended Websites

• Integrating Sources (Harvard Writing Program)
• Purdue University Online Writing Lab (OWL): The Writing Process
• << Previous: 3b. Distinguish Between Scholarly/Popular Sources
• Next: Step 5: Cite Your Sources >>
• Last Updated: Dec 8, 2024 3:43 PM
• URL: https://libguides.greenriver.edu/library-research

How to Do Library Research

How to do library research? Many times instructors will recommend, or even require, that student researchers avoid the popular search engines and, instead, use a library, when doing their research. A visit to the library can transform your research efforts from simple look-ups into an educational experience that reveals many more resources that are open to you.

Not only is a library a source of countless texts, but it is also a place where you can seek the help of reference librarians who are schooled in using both print and digital resources to find reliable sources of information.Research librarians can also help you review and understand the requirements of an assignment, help you get started, and direct you in your search for information.

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Libraries also offer you the advantage of being able to access books, articles, and other documents that are off-limits to average users. Most public and university libraries are members of these database networks, and they allow you to access them through computers in the library or by entering information from your library card or student ID.Many libraries offer their own search engines for finding articles in specialized databases. Usually, they allow you to search by categories (such as the humanities, science, or business) and click on a journal to browse it or to enter keywords to search across databases, much like you do when using an online search engine.

How to Use a Library Catalog

An important part of your exploratory research is identifying the specific sources to use when you begin taking notes for your paper. The best place to start is the library catalog, which includes a list of all the books in your library. Assuming the catalog is online and you need help using it, ask the librarian to show you how. Check to see if you can access your library catalog on your home computer too.

You can search the library catalog in three ways—by subject, title, or author. A subject search shows the titles of books on your topic. To do a subject search, type in your topic. Then click on “subject.” You will get a list of all the books in the library on your topic, including the title, author, and call number for each book. The call number is important because the books are placed on the shelves in numerical order according to call number.

If you happen to know particular authors or titles of books that you might want to use, do an author or title search. Type in the author’s name to get a list of books by that author, or type in the title of a book to get information about that book.

In most online catalogs, you can get more information about a book by highlighting the title and clicking on “more information,” “expanded view,” or a similar phrase that appears on the screen. Then the catalog shows the name of the publisher, the place and date the book was published, whether or not the book is available, the call number, and where in the library it is located—the reference section, the adult nonfiction section, or the children’s section. You also may be able to click on helpful options such as “More by this author” or “More titles like this.”

All libraries use some form of cataloging or classification system to organize books. This allows library patrons to easily find the books on the shelves and tells librarians how to return them to their proper places when borrowers bring them back. Libraries use a variety of different classification schemes to index and shelve their books.The two most widely used are the Dewey Decimal Classification system (DDC) and the Library of Congress Classification system (LCC).

The Dewey Decimal Classification System (DDC) was developed by Melvil Dewey in 1876 to standardize the way in which books were organized within libraries. The Library of Congress Classification System (LCC) was developed in 1897 by the U.S. Library of Congress to meet the archival needs of the U.S. government. More than 95 percent of U.S. libraries use one or the other to provide a logical system for helping researchers and readers quickly locate titles about their topics. Most U.S. research and university libraries have moved to the LCC, while the DDC continues as the system most often found in public and school libraries. The categories in the two systems tend to reflect one another, although the precise alphanumeric system used by each is different. Both systems are constantly being expanded to keep up with the evergrowing body of published knowledge.

Researchers who lack a working knowledge of either system can always ask a librarian to point them in the right direction. However, it helps to have a basic understanding of how the systems work, particularly if you plan to browse the library shelves for books on your research paper topic.

Decoding Call Numbers

Both the DDC and the LCC use alphanumeric systems to identify titles according to topic. Each title is assigned an identification number, called a “call number,” according to how it is classified in the DDC or LCC.

Because it uses a system in which the categories and subcategories are divisible by 10, many researchers find DDC call numbers more logical and easier to use than the LCC’s alphanumeric codes. The DDC organizes topics under 10 general categories that are identified by number. Each category is further divided into subcategories, also identified by number. DDC codes continue with a decimal-based system that is relatively easy to decipher as you zero in on your subject. Many times, the decimal is followed by a letter which indicates the first letter of the last name of the author.

Dewey Decimal Classification System

The 10 general categories of the Dewey Decimal System include:

• 000 Generalities
• 100 Philosophy and psychology
• 200 Religion
• 300 Social sciences and anthropology
• 400 Language
• 500 Natural sciences and mathematics
• 600 Technology and applied sciences
• 700 The arts
• 800 Literature and rhetoric
• 900 Geography and history

For a list of the subclassifications under each category and more information about the DDC, visit the Dewey Services page of the Online Computer Library Center, Inc. (OCLC) at  http://www.oclc.org/dewey.en.html .

Library of Congress Classification System

LCC call numbers begin with a letter, designating the general category, followed by either another letter or a number that designates the subcategory. Deciphering LCC codes is trickier and may require the help of a librarian. The first letter in an LCC call number refers to one of the 21 categories represented in the system.The initial digit is followed by a letter or number combination that represents the subcategory. However, some categories in the LCC (including E and F which represent the history of the Americas) use numbers to indicate the subcategory and others (such as D which represents some areas of history, and K which represents Law) use three letters.The digits that follow the category and subcategory in the call number further define the subject. The final three letter-number combination in the call number is called the “cutter number.” It provides a code to the name of the author or the organization that sponsored the publication. The 21 general categories of the LCC include:

• A General works
• B Philosophy, psychology, religion
• C Auxiliary sciences of history, such as archaeology and genealogy
• D World history and the history of Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and so on
• E–F History of the Americas
• G Geography, anthropology, recreation
• H Social sciences
• J Political science
• L Education
• M Music and books on music
• N Fine arts
• P Language and literature
• S Agriculture
• T Technology and engineering
• U Military science
• V Naval science
• Z Bibliography and library science, information resources

You will find a full list of LCC categories and subcategories in Appendix B of this book. More information about the LCC can be found online through the Library of Congress Cataloging Distribution Service at  http://www.loc.gov/cds/ .

No matter which system your library uses, your search for books at the library will begin with the library’s catalog. A library catalog is much like any other catalog. It is a record of everything that is available to you. Items within the library are indexed by their call numbers and arranged on the shelves according to their categories and subcategories.

Browsing for Information

Knowing the category and subcategory designations for your research paper topic also allows you to peruse the library shelves and browse titles in your subject area. Browsing is often useful in the early stages of your search for information because it allows you to open the books and scan the tables of contents, indexes, introductions, and chapter headings of books on your topic. These, in turn, can offer you a good idea of how helpful the work will be. Browsing, however, can be time-consuming.

To use your browsing time effectively, acquaint yourself with the categories under which you will likely find titles about your topic. Learn where the categories are shelved in the library. Typically, you will find topic labels or the range of call numbers for the topics in that aisle posted at the ends of individual aisles. After identifying the call numbers for your topic and subtopic, you will be able to go directly to the shelves where titles on your topic are located.

Keep in mind, however, that the best materials on your topic might not always be in the section where you are browsing. If a publication covers a variety of topics, it may be classified under one that is different from what you looked up.

Fortunately, subjects in card catalogs are cross-referenced so that you can search by title of the work,author’s name,and a variety of keywords, as well as by subject.Your search will produce a record of the books with a “call number,” or identification code. Libraries typically organize their shelves sequentially according to the system they use and label the ends of the aisles with the range of numbers to be found on the shelves in each aisle.

An Effective Browsing Strategy:

• Identify the main category in the DDC or LCC system (whichever one your library uses) under which you are likely to find your topic.
• Identify the logical subcategory under which your topic would fall.
• Make a notation of the category and subcategory identification codes.
• Use the first digit in the identification code to find your aisle.
• Use the second digit in the code to identify the range of shelves containing titles on the subcategory.
• Find titles that fit your topic.
• Review the chapter headings, introduction, index, relevant pages, illustrations, and captions in the volume to identify how helpful the title will be.
• As you browse through the shelves, remember that when the initial digits of the identification codes change, you’ll be leaving your topic and moving into another.

How to Use Books for Research Paper Writing

For many people, books are an indispensable part of research. For starters, they’re “user-friendly.” It’s easy to open a book and start reading. You don’t need any special equipment such as a computer terminal to read a book, either. Since it takes time to write and publish a book, they tend to be reliable sources. Right now, you’ll learn how to find the books you need to complete your research paper. Library collections are also limited by the physical capacity of the buildings. Fortunately, most of today’s libraries are connected through networks to other, affiliated libraries, allowing you to order titles that can be delivered locally. The library’s card catalog tells you what is in your library’s collection and what can be ordered through its network.

All libraries are repositories of recorded information, but not all libraries are alike. Their collections differ—both in the kinds of materials they offer and in how they categorize them. Public libraries, for instance, typically feature large sections of popular fiction, while research libraries may offer classical fiction but few titles that you would find on a current best-seller list. If you were looking for vampire novels, for instance, you are likely to find Bram Stoker’s 1897 Gothic classic,  Dracula , but do not expect it to share a shelf with the recent popular  Twilight  series by Stephanie Meyer.

The books you will use for your research paper fall into two main categories:  fiction  and nonfiction :

• Fiction is novels and short stories. Fiction is cataloged under the author’s last name.
• Nonfiction books, however, are classified in two different ways. Some libraries use the Dewey Decimal System; other libraries use the Library of Congress system. In general, elementary, junior high, high school, and community libraries use the Dewey Decimal System. University and academic libraries use the Library of Congress system.

Your research paper topic determines how you search for a book. Since most research papers deal with topics and issues, you’ll likely be searching by subject. However, it is often necessary to look under titles and authors as well. Consider all three avenues of finding information as you look through the card catalog.

Useful Books to Consider

A reference work is a compendium of information that you use to find a specific piece of information, rather than read cover to cover. Updated editions are published as needed, in some cases annually. In addition to specific books on your research paper topic,  here are some general reference sources to consider:

Encyclopedias . Some teachers will not let their students cite encyclopedias in their bibliographies, but that’s no reason not to use them for background information. An encyclopedia can be an excellent way to get a quick, authoritative overview of your topic. This can often help you get a handle on the issues. There are general encyclopedias ( World Books ,  Britannica ,  Colliers ,  Funk and Wagnalls ) as well as technical ones. The encyclopedias can be in print form or online.

Guide to Reference Sources . Published by the American Library Association, this useful guide has five main categories: general reference works; humanities; social and behavioral sciences; history and area studies; and science, technology, and medicine. The new editions include online sources as well as print ones. Another excellent reference guide is  Credo Reference  (formerly Xreferplus), an online product that accesses more than 200 reference books online.

Who’s Who in America . This reference work includes biographical entries on approximately 75,000 Americans and others linked to America.  Who Was Who  covers famous people who have died.

Almanacs . Almanacs are remarkably handy and easy-to-use reference guides. These one-volume books are a great source for statistics and facts.  The World Almanac  and  The Information ,  Please Almanac  are the two best known almanacs. They are updated every year.

Dictionaries . Complete dictionaries provide synonyms, antonyms, word histories, parts of speech, and pronunciation guides in addition to definitions and spelling. Depending on your topic, you may need to define all terms formally before you begin your research.

How to Use Articles in Periodicals

To get the most reliable, up-to-date, and useful information, you will want to use a variety of different reference sources. You will also likely use articles from magazines, newspapers, and journals as well as online sources and books to find information for your research paper.

Periodicals include all material that is published on a regular schedule, such as weekly, biweekly, monthly, bimonthly, four times a year, and so on. Newspapers, magazines, and journals are classified as periodicals.

• Newspapers and magazines are aimed at a general readership.
• Journals are aimed at a technical audience.

Finding articles in periodicals that are relevant to your topic can be a bit trickier because they tend to be indexed in separate databases organized by subject.

Electronic look-ups provide the fastest and easiest way of finding articles, allowing you to search on the subject and keywords to zero in on your topic. Frequently, you begin at the same search form that you would use to find book titles. However, articles are usually found through databases that require a bit more searching because you may have to access more than one database to find what you are looking for.

To find articles and essays on your subject:

• Review the list of databases and periodical indexes that are available at your library.
• Identify the databases that might address your topic, such as Business Source Premier, for business articles, or MEDLINE for biomedical literature.
• If you have difficulty finding an appropriate specialized database, use one such as Academic Search Premier or JSTOR which cuts across numerous categories.
• Go to the search screen for your database.
• Enter keywords to begin your search.
• Select logical titles from the results that you receive.
• Click on each title to retrieve the article citation.
• Read the abstract, or summary, to see whether that article contains the type of information you are seeking.
• Click to retrieve the full text if it is available electronically or use the citation information to order the article via email or through your library.

One useful way of identifying additional sources of information is to check the sources of quotations and citations in articles that were helpful to you. You then have the author’s name, the title of the article, or the publication in which an article of interest might have appeared and can look it up using the same database you used to find the original article.

How to Identify Appropriate Sources

Whether you found an article online or in print, you will need to evaluate the authority, or importance, of the research material you uncover.

As a general rule, reference texts, such as encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other standard reference sources like  Who’s Who  or  Bartlett’s Familiar Quotations  may meet the standard for high school research papers but they are generally not acceptable in college. The information in those volumes is considered “generic”—good for gathering general background but not unique or authoritative. Specialized dictionaries and compendiums, such as the Physicians’ Desk Reference , a listing of FDA-approved drugs, represent the exception.

University professors prefer “primary” and “secondary” sources. Primary sources are ones with unique discussions of ideas, concepts, trends, events, personalities, and discoveries. They report findings, set forth arguments, and provide unique insights and conclusions from the authors who wrote them. Secondary sources are materials that use or report on the work of others to provide summaries, analyses, or interpretations of primary sources.

An example of a secondary source would be a book review or an analysis of another work. For example,  The Rights of Man , Thomas Paine’s famous essay in defense of the French Revolution, is a primary work. It sets forth his original argument against the French monarchy. An article that mentions the essay in a discussion about the ideas of philosophers in the 1700s would be considered a secondary source.

This is not to say that you should abandon encyclopedias and other standard references. Such sources make great starting points in your research. Not only do they provide valuable background on the topic you plan to discuss, but they reveal the wealth of information that is commonly known about the subject.

Encyclopedias can also point you to other valuable sources. Encyclopedia articles often contain their own bibliographies that cite the primary and secondary research sources that the encyclopedia writers and editors used to develop the article. Not only will these citations direct you to primary sources that can be useful in your own research, but they come from sources that you know were deemed reliable by the editors of the encyclopedia.

How to Identify Reputable Print Sources

Finding information for your research paper in print sources can be equally as challenging as finding them online. Often the information you seek will be found in a small section of one article that appears in a very large volume. How do you find the information and know it will be useful unless you read the whole thing?

How to Find Good Print Resources:

• Look up your topic in the book’s index. Read those passages.
• Check journals and reports for an abstract, summary of findings, or executive summary at the beginning; these highlight the key information in the report.
• Review prefaces, introductions, and summaries on dust jackets for a quick overview.
• Read reviews, summaries, and commentaries about books.
• Check citations in a work to see how well-documented the work is.
• Read headlines, subheads, and call-outs in newspapers and magazines.
• Scan graphics and illustrations. Read the captions that accompany them.

How to Read Critically

You cannot write intelligently about a subject if you have not fully read and understood the material you found in your research. This requires “critical” reading. Critical reading means more than reviewing and recording the material. It means pausing to think about it. Ask yourself whether you found the research convincing.Then ask yourself: Why or why not?

There are strategies for critical reading, just as there are for writing research papers. Critical reading requires you to gain a complete and accurate understanding of the material you find in your research so that you can analyze it intelligently and interpret it for others. This means devoting more time to the reading than you normally do when you sit down to casually read a newspaper or curl up with a novel.

Expect to spend more time with a text than what it takes to simply understand what it says. Think about what you read; ask yourself questions about it. Evaluate its logic. Consider alternatives to the information the author presented. Be prepared to turn to other texts if you do not find answers to your questions or if the author’s arguments appear invalid. The more you can inform yourself about your topic and what other writers have said about it,the more you will equip yourself for the task ahead.

Critical reading is challenging so you will want to diminish noise and interferences. Turn off your radio, TV, iPod, and cell phone—anything that is likely to interrupt. Do not check your e-mail or read while socializing with friends. Reading in a quiet environment, and pursuing strategies for understanding eases the process and reduces the amount of time you will spend on research.

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The Library Research Process, Step-by-Step

• Finding & Exploring a Topic
• Finding Books
• Finding Articles
• Evaluating Sources
• Reading Scholarly Articles
• Understanding & Using a Citation Style

Library Contact

Topic Development Steps

1. Review Assignment: What's the assignment? What are the expectations for your work? Are there any specific parameters that you need to be aware of?

2. Brainstorm: Pick a topic that interests you! Do you have a strong opinion on something? Do you have a personal issue, problem, or pastime that you would like to know more about?

• Librarian Tip: The research and writing will go by more quickly if you care about the topic you are researching!

3. Find Background Information: Reading an overview of a topic will allow you to better understand the landscape of what you are researching. This in turn will allow you to narrow in on a specific concept that piques your interest.

• Librarian Tip: This process also allows you to find common vocabulary used in the field, which offers you keywords for your resource searching. Make a list of these keywords as you are going.

4. Focus Your Topic: Make sure to keep your work manageable by honing in on a specific thesis statement or question.

• Librarian Tip: Remember to stay flexible while picking a thesis statement, if a topic is too broad or too narrow it will be hard to research. So keep in mind - picking your topic is research!

1. Review Assignment

Make sure you understand your assignment thoroughly. Is it an argumentative paper, where you will need to choose a side and find evidence to support it? Or is it a literature review or annotated bibliography, where you need to find quality sources and be able to summarize them?

If you're not sure, talk to your instructor! They can help you better understand your assignment.

2 - 3. Brainstorm & Find Background Information: Resources

The library has specialized databases which summarize both sides of an issue. These may help you develop a topic, and help you track down appropriate research. You can also search your ideas on Wikipedia to learn more about them and help inform your topic development.

Library Databases:

• Issues & Controversies This link opens in a new window Full text of balanced, accurate discussions of over 250 controversial topics in the news supplemented with chronologies, illustrations, maps, tables, sidebars, contact information, and bibliographies including primary source documents and news editorials.
• Opposing Viewpoints in Context This link opens in a new window Covers current social and cultural issues, and includes pro and con "viewpoint" essays, topic overviews, primary sources, and news articles.
• CQ Researcher This link opens in a new window Noted for its in-depth, unbiased coverage of health, social trends, criminal justice, international affairs, education, the environment, technology, and the economy.
• ProCon.org: Pros and Cons of Controversial Issues ProCon.org presents both sides of a current "controversial" issue. The topics on this site include: politics, religion, medicine and health, sports, science, and education.

4. Focus Your Topic: Narrowing

Sometimes a topic that seems like the right size for your paper can seem way too big after you’ve learned a little more about it.   When this happens, you need to narrow the focus of your paper.  Y ou can do this by considering different ways to restrict your paper topic.

Some of the ways you can limit your paper topic are by:

• Who – population or group (e.g., college students; women; Asian Americans)
• What – discipline or focus (e.g., sociological or historical perspective)
• Where – geographic location (e.g., United States; universities; small towns)
• When – time period or era (19 th century; Renaissance; Vietnam War)
• Why – why is the topic important? (to the class, to the field, or to you)

For example, a paper about social media would be very broad.   But a paper about social media use by female college students in the United States since 2010 might be just right.

4. Focus Your Topic: Goldilocker

Try using the U-M Library-designed  Goldilocker tool  (a search strategy generator) to help you determine and narrow down your topic. The tool will prompt you to think about the Who, What, When, and Where aspects of your topic. 

It will look something like this: 

General Topic: social media and its effects on the mental health of female-identifying college students  Who: female-identifying college students  What: social media  When: since 2010 Where: United States

4. Focus Your Topic: Broadening

Sometimes you will find that your topic is too narrow - there is not enough published on your topic. When this happens, you can try to broaden your topic. There are a couple of strategies you can try when broadening your topic.

Tip #1: choose less specific terms for your search, e.g., standardized tests instead of SATs, or performance-enhancing drugs instead of anabolic steroids.

Tip #2:  broaden your topic by changing or removing limits or filters from your topic:

• Who - population or group (e.g., instead of college students , choose a broader section of the population)
• What  - discipline or focus (e.g., instead of choosing a sociological perspective, look at a number of perspectives)
• Where  - geographic location (e.g., instead of Michigan , choose United States)
• When  - time period or era (e.g., instead of 1999 , choose 1980s or 20th century)

For example, a paper about Tik Tok use by female identifying college students at the University of Michigan in 2024 might be too narrowly defined. But a paper about social media use by female identifying college students since 2010 might be just right.

• Next: Finding Books >>

Getting Started with Library Research

Research needs and requirements vary with each assignment, project, or paper. Although there is no single “right” way to conduct research, certain methods and skills can make your research efforts more efficient and effective.

If you have questions or can’t find what you need,  ask a librarian .

Developing a Research Topic

All research starts with a question.

• Discuss your ideas with a librarian or with your professor.
• Formulate a research question and identify keywords.
• Search subject-focused encyclopedias, books, and journals to see what kind of information already exists on your topic. If you are having trouble finding information, you may need to change your search terms or ask for help.

Additional resources:

• Library Research at Cornell
• Research Guides

Using the Library to Find Research Materials

The Library is the top resource when it comes to locating and accessing research materials.

• Use the library catalog to find materials such as books, music, videos, journals, and audio recordings in our collections.
• Search databases to find articles, book chapters, and other sources within a specific subject area or discipline.
• For materials the Library does not own, use BorrowDirect or Interlibrary Loan for quick and easy access.
• Each library unit has unique collections and subject knowledge. See individual library websites for additional resources in specific subject areas.
• Check out our library research guides for lists of resources curated by library staff. Browse by subject or find guides specific to course offerings.

Evaluating Sources

When using a book, article, report, or website for your research, it is important to gauge how reliable the source is. Visit these research guides for more information:

• How to distinguish scholarly vs non-scholarly sources
• Tips for critically analyzing information sources
• Identify misinformation, disinformation, and propaganda

Citing Sources

When writing a research paper, it is important to cite the sources you used in a way that would enable a reader to easily find them.

• Citation Management
• How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography
• Code of Academic Integrity